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Jeffrey Woods

All things happen for a reason

So I'll start this off with the situation. I have this friend, who mostly just wants to shitpost and joke around, and act based/woke all the time, but how the argument started, I don't know. The topic was if all things happen for a reason, whether it be an obvious reason or not. The example was Murder. "Could someone murder someone with zero reason?" I'm leaning towards his side in this situation, that no, it's not possible. Either it is by them having psychological issues, or simple curiosity. However, I like to be agnostic about things, and I feel this makes me very stubborn, but I'm not educated in the topic, I just don't get into debates on many higher topics. I'd like to believe it's possible, that no motivation is a possibility, or being completely mindless, but then with no motivation, this points to psychology according to him. Really feel wrong about this one and would like some help on this. I just found this site and was very interested in it, so I apologise if I'm not using it as intended.

asked on Saturday, Jul 11, 2020 05:03:25 AM by Jeffrey Woods

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skips777 writes:

"Could someone murder someone with zero reason?" 

What if the reason is to simply kill someone for no particular reason.

 

posted on Sunday, Jul 12, 2020 07:28:46 AM

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Answers

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Bo Bennett, PhD
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No fallacy here, but certainly an interesting philosophical/psychological question posed. First, it is important to define "reason" in this context. Are we talking about a psychological state that precedes an action or behavior, or a cause in a deterministic chain of events? If one believes in the concept of "free will," is an act of free will considered a "reason?" This is all in preface to the question "do all things happen for a reason." The question "Could someone murder someone with zero reason?" is easier to answer. No, they can't, since the definition of murder requires premeditation, or a psychological "reason," even if the reason is "I am a psychopath and I like killing people."

answered on Saturday, Jul 11, 2020 06:10:11 AM by Bo Bennett, PhD

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Bryan
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So the question of whether someone could murder without any reason hinges on what reason means. You need to be careful to avoid using different definitions interchangeably as that can lead to equivocation.  

Reason can be a verb meaning a thought process, or it could be a noun meaning a justification or motive. These two are linked as one would provide the other, however it could also be a noun meaning an explanation or cause. Often the context will help narrow it down e.g. if you had said "without a reason" that would rule out the verb. 

If you're just going with explanation or cause, then yes, there must be a reason. You may not know what the reason is, but that wouldn't mean that there isn't one, that would be a form of argument from ignorance, where a conclusion is erroneously based on a lack of apparent explanation, rather than accepting that it's unexplained.

And if you mean that the person has a justification or motive, murder requires premeditation which would mean that the person thought it through in some way. 

Bo is more qualified to talk on psychology so might have something I didn't think of or know about. 

Just to add, I know someone who says everything happens for a reason and I'm pretty certain, though now I'm thinking I should actually check with him, that he means that there is a purpose i.e. a thinking agent behind everything. If he just means a cause, then yeah, obviously....

There are no fallacies in what you've said, but there are potential fallacies as highlighted. 

answered on Saturday, Jul 11, 2020 07:40:06 AM by Bryan

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Jason Mathias
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"Could someone murder someone with zero reason?"

I believe the answer is yes, you can murder someone with no reason. Because "reason" is short for "reasoning". 

You could just act based off a triggered emotion in the moment, no reasoning happened in that case, but reasoning could happen after the murder to try and justify it, or condemn it, and or try to figure out why the murder happened. 

answered on Saturday, Jul 11, 2020 12:45:02 PM by Jason Mathias

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